Free Web NovelChapter 390: Chapter 377: Harvest Before the Cave
"This is the situation as it stands. I believe the archaeology team needs to request assistance from a Beastmaster with a Myriad Phenomena Butterfly."
The leader calmly discussed the situation with an elderly man, while Gu Ming stood behind them, his eyes narrowed, silently observing the archaeology team inside the massive karst cave.
Inside the large cave, Beastmasters were resting haphazardly.
Layer after layer of aurora-like halos filled the air, swirling within the cave and creating a strangely divine spectacle.
Gu Ming hadn’t even entered yet, but he could already feel the heavy presence of multiple Illusion Realms.
After hearing the professional opinion, the head of the archaeology team looked completely lost.
According to the exploration team’s topographical survey over the past few days, these ruins were the burial ground of a Myriad Phenomena Butterfly.
The leader also knew that the residual illusions inside were too dense.
The Beastmasters specializing in Illusion Techniques that they had hired couldn’t handle it.
The team had attempted to advance over a hundred times, but they had fallen prey to the illusions on more than ninety of those attempts. It was all for naught.
Faced with this situation, the leader said:
"Have them bring a Myriad Phenomena Butterfly to give it a try. It might actually work."
Gu Ming listened from the side, but he had other thoughts:
’This treats the symptoms, not the root cause. This isn’t the influence of a Myriad Phenomena Butterfly; it’s a remnant of the Primordial Dream Butterfly.’
’Breaking the spell of a Divine Beast that exists only in legend is not going to be that easy.’
But Gu Ming wouldn’t say any of these baseless things.
The things from his system’s perspective were far beyond his own understanding. They weren’t things someone of his Star Level should be able to see. It was best to just let things play out.
When the leader returned after his negotiations, he brought back some supplies.
"Everyone, these are resources the archaeology team excavated from the cave. They’ve let us use them for now," the leader explained.
Gu Ming knew that this was a resource reward for the club’s cooperation with the relevant organization—not a simple monetary transaction, but actual, tangible supplies.
These kinds of precious materials usually didn’t circulate on the open market. They only circulated within specific circles, and you couldn’t get them without connections.
He glanced over them and sensed that these few items were all filled with a spiritual aura and would be highly beneficial for one’s Spiritual Power.
Among the team members, a senior with Mastery in appraisal also recognized the names of a few of the materials and joyfully murmured:
"Dream Light Powder, Purple Essence Sand, Stone Spirit Grass, Light-Gathering Grass..."
Gu Ming didn’t recognize them, but some of the mineral powders and herbs were extremely famous on the market—items that had a price but couldn’t be found for sale.
For example, Dream Light Powder could slightly increase a Three-star Beastmaster’s Spiritual Power and improve their resistance to visual illusions.
Purple Essence Sand could stabilize a Pet Beast’s Spiritual Power. It was suitable for consolidating one’s Spiritual Power Cultivation after a rapid breakthrough.
Then there were Stone Spirit Grass and Light-Gathering Grass, both high-end medicinal materials used to enhance areas like Illusion Ability and Perception, and could be used on Pet Beasts of the Four and Five-stars Levels.
If a Low-star Pet Beast consumed these, the dosage would have to be reduced—cut by a factor of ten or even a hundred—and it would need to be neutralized with other medicines to prevent the effects from being too potent and poisoning the Pet Beast.
When the club members saw the special medicinal ingredients the leader had brought back, their faces lit up with excitement.
Gu Ming was also very happy, but over the past few days, he had undergone so many dream trials from the Primordial Dream Butterfly that his Spiritual Power had already grown to a near-saturation point and needed to be stabilized.
Therefore, what seemed to be the best rewards on the surface were not what Gu Ming needed most.
The Purple Essence Sand, used for stabilizing Spiritual Power and consolidating one’s Cultivation, was the best option for him, but the others weren’t.
Gu Ming glanced at his system. Fortunately, all these materials were marked with bullet comments.
Gu Ming focused on the items his system had marked as important.
Some were attracting a lot of attention, while a small portion was ignored, cast aside in a corner. They were the leftovers that would remain after everyone else had made their choices.
If no one chose them in the end, they would be randomly distributed among the club members to take home after everyone had finished picking.
Since Gu Ming had already set his sights on his targets, he didn’t just grab them right away. Instead, he joined the crowd and first snagged the Purple Essence Sand. Then, pretending to be picky, he inconspicuously took the few key items marked by his system.
’I’ve taken the Purple Essence Sand, Xin Grass, Dreamland, and Dreamless Water Bud...’
Lu You was also in the crowd. She didn’t know what to choose, and with her gentle nature, she wouldn’t actively pick anything for herself, waiting until everyone was almost done before making a move.
At that moment, an idea struck Gu Ming.
’I might as well have Lu You help me grab a few things. After all, this is all good stuff. I can’t let one of our own lose out.’
"Lu You, pick that pink, fragrant grass. Yes, that one. And that leaf in the corner..."
Xin Grass could significantly reduce interference from Illusion Techniques. It was a Full-star Level universal neutral herb and also an essential Evolution material for Sound Element Pet Beasts.
Gu Ming didn’t have a Pet Beast like that, but he knew that Evolution materials for Sound Element Pet Beasts were extremely expensive. Just auctioning it on the market would fetch a lot of money.
Next was Dreamland. The leaf had quite a unique name. It was a leaf deeply saturated by the Primordial Dream Butterfly, and it contained a beautiful dream. It could make someone who had lost their soul fall into a dreamscape and undergo Rejuvenation.
It was one of only two top-tier materials in the pile.
However, this leaf was a product that would only be fully understood and developed ten years in the future. Right now, no one had yet researched its Rejuvenation properties.
The other one was the Dreamless Water Bud. It could cause a Beastmaster or Pet Beast to become mentally unstable and lose the ability to dream. The effect lasted for about a day.
It was the core ingredient for the Dreamless Pill; the other ingredients weren’t listed.
In the future, it would become an extremely high-end Elixir, a key medicinal ingredient used to cultivate new Skills in Spiritual Pet Beasts.
Gu Ming had no use for it at the moment, but as long as the system said it was high-end, he would take it without hesitation.
Lu You nodded. She didn’t ask any questions and took them all.
The Insect Baby in her arms, however, stirred. It had taken an interest in the Dreamless Water Bud, its antennae twitching slightly.
In its Perception, this flower bud was quite mystical. On the surface, it looked dry and dull, but under the perception of its Spiritual Power Talent, there was a flowing, dreamlike liquid inside the withered bud, drawing it to digest it.
It couldn’t say why. Perhaps it was an instinct from its bloodline. Consuming it might awaken its racial abilities.
Lu You knew Gu Ming wouldn’t choose randomly, but she hadn’t expected her Mianmian to react so strongly.
"Wait, we’ll talk about it when we get back." She soothed Mianmian with her hand, telling it not to be so excited.
"Alright, this concludes our club activity for now. You have one day of free time. If you want to explore the cave, sign up your name. We’ll set out in two hours.
"Those who don’t want to enter can rest outside the cave."
Seeing that everyone had received their materials, the leader announced the free time.
This free exploration period was different from the club’s usual activities because the inside of the ancient ruins was too dangerous. Even the leader and other senior students could fall prey to the illusions, and no one was immune.
Therefore, the subsequent exploration of the interior was not a required club activity, and participation was completely voluntary.
The club members immediately started talking amongst themselves, finding familiar partners to discuss whether they should venture into the cave.
Gu Ming returned to Lu You’s side, just as he was about to tell her he wasn’t going.
She looked over at him, her expression cautious. She clearly didn’t want to go.
Her Insect Baby, on the other hand, squirmed in her arms, its desires in opposition to its master’s. It clearly wanted to go inside.
